Beatmaker Kassa Overall Obliterates Boundaries Between Jazz and Rap

Soundcheck | Jul 24, 2023

The drummer, producer, and emcee Kassa Overall studied with jazz legends like Elvin Jones and Billy Hart; but he also grew up with hip hop, and his records are a bracing combination of improvisation, sound design, and lyrics from the tradition of socially conscious rap. His new album, Animals (his first for Warp Records), features cameos by rappers like Danny Brown and Lil B as well as jazz luminaries like pianist Vijay Iyer, trumpeter Theo Croker, and sax player Tomoki Sanders. These are musicians who share Overall’s penchant for not crossing boundaries so much as ignoring them. Kassa Overall and his band play "jazz drama and velveteen underground rap," (LoudandQuiet.com), from Animals in-studio.

Set list: 1. Make My Way Back Home 2. Maybe We Can Stay 3. I Know You See Me

Watch "Make My Way Back Home":

Watch "Maybe We Can Stay":

Watch "I Know You See Me":

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